Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach

This research paper introduces INDAIR-CHEM, a model combining indoor air chemistry with physical and probabilistic exposure modelling to analyze pollutant concentrations in European offices, specifically examining the impacts of heat-waves, ventilation rates, and cleaning schedules.

• The INDAIR-CHEM model was applied to compare indoor pollutant concentrations in naturally ventilated offices across 8 European cities, contrasting typical summer outdoor conditions with the European heat-wave of August 2003 across various air exchange rates.
• Extreme climatic events like heat-waves, which frequently result in poor outdoor air quality, can lead to increased personal exposure to both primary and secondary indoor species. Furthermore, poor office ventilation can exacerbate occupant exposure; while reduced ventilation lowers maximum ozone exposure by limiting outdoor ingress, it allows secondary species to remain indoors longer, potentially increasing cumulative exposure for workers.
• The timing of cleaning with limonene-based products affects exposure to secondary reaction products. Cleaning staff face lower risk if cleaning occurs before office hours rather than after, because ozone concentrations are generally lower in the early morning than in the late afternoon. Conversely, office workers experience reduced exposure if cleaning is conducted at the end of the working day.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach. https://www.sei.org/publications/occupant-exposure-to-indoor-air-pollutants-in-modern-european-offices-an-integrated-modelling-approach/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach. 2014. https://www.sei.org/publications/occupant-exposure-to-indoor-air-pollutants-in-modern-european-offices-an-integrated-modelling-approach/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach |date=17 January 2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/occupant-exposure-to-indoor-air-pollutants-in-modern-european-offices-an-integrated-modelling-approach/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014occupant, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/occupant-exposure-to-indoor-air-pollutants-in-modern-european-offices-an-integrated-modelling-approach/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }